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How to Spend St. Patrick’s Day Sober

Posted on February 21, 2018 Posted By: The Other SideCategories: Alcoholism

You Don’t Have to Drink to Capture the Luck of the Irish!

Contrary to popular belief, St. Patty’s Day isn’t all about alcohol, and you don’t have to forsake your recovery to celebrate it. In fact, you can have a better time celebrating sober than you ever could drunk!

Don’t believe us? We’ll prove it to you by creating a timeline for the perfect sober celebration.

We hope the following timeline will inspire you to create your own alcohol-free plan. After all, it’ll be easier to abstain from drinking if you plan out all your sober activities ahead of time.

So, without further ado, here’s our timeline for the perfect sober St. Patrick’s Day!

At the meeting, you will be able to socialize with others and realize you are not alone in your struggle. You may even meet some new friends who will want to spend their alcohol-free St. Patty’s day with you! Knowing you have others supporting you will go a long way in making your Irish celebration healthy and enjoyable.

8:00 pm – Make Plans to Hang Out with Sober Friends

It will be easy to slip up and get drunk on St. Patrick’s Day if you don’t have accountability. So, find some pals who are just as committed to sobriety as you are and make plans to hang out with them all day. Chances are, there will probably be some willing companions at the recovery meeting you just attended.

Not only will hanging out with other people help you stay sober, but it will also be a lot more fun! Celebrating is always more enjoyable when you’re with like-minded friends.

March 17

9:00 am – Go to a Parade

Spend the morning attending a parade with your sober companions. It’s a great way to capture that festive Irish atmosphere and have fun without having to get drunk. You can appreciate the sights and sounds for a few hours and then duck out before the heavy drinking starts.

Of course, you should keep in mind that no parade or festival is entirely free of temptations. You may encounter some early morning drinking, which is why you should have an escape plan if you begin to feel tempted. Come up with the plan with your friends ahead of time so that you will all be on the same page.

1:00 pm – Dance to Great Irish Music

After a spectacle-filled morning, enjoy experiencing a bit of Irish culture by learning traditional Irish dance. You could attend an actual class or look up how to videos on YouTube. Either way, this activity will be a lot more rewarding and less embarrassing if you’re sober. Not only will you learn something new, but you’ll also get some exercise and make some memories with your friends. Sounds like a good time to us!

5:30 pm – Treat Yourself to a Classic Irish Feast

Chances are, you’ll work up quite an appetite while dancing, and nothing fills you up quite like Irish food! So instead of filling up on alcohol, why not devour a bunch of delicious Irish dishes you don’t usually eat!

Team up with your sober pals to cook yourselves a feast of shepherd’s pie, corn beef and cabbage, boxty, and whatever other Irish recipes you can find online. Our mouth is watering just thinking about that spread!

7:00 pm – Stay in and Have an Irish Movie Night

After a long day of festivities, you’ll probably be exhausted. One way you could unwind is by inviting your sober friends over to your place for an Irish-themed movie night!

You could check out the critically acclaimed Brooklyn or the indie darling Sing Street. Or if you’re into campy horror, give the old Leprechaun films a try.

Whatever you watch, we guarantee it will feel great to sit there knowing you managed to have a ton of fun on St. Patrick’s Day without drinking.

See? We told you it’s possible!

If you’re looking for a fun, alcohol-free place to hang out this St. Patrick’s Day, check out The Other Side. We offer a relaxed environment for people in recovery to meet, socialize, and have a good time!